Social Worker; MSW), Assertive Community Treatment; ACT

Position: Social Worker (MSW), Assertive Community Treatment (ACT)
Location: New Westminster

Detailed Overview

Under direction of the Care Coordinator, provides clinical social work counselling services to clients and families with serious, persistent mental illness and substance use in the clinical specialty area within the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program. Conducts comprehensive social work and psychosocial assessments of clients with mental illness and substance misuse/dependence using a variety of modalities and in accordance with professional standards and clinical policies and practices.

Educates and provides support and consultation to clients, families, and healthcare professionals. As a member of an integrated, interdisciplinary team, takes a key role in discharge planning and ensuring optimal continuity of care through activities such as liaison, referral, advocacy, coordination, brokerage, and pre-placement visits. Develops, coordinates, and delivers in-services, presentations, psycho-educational and support groups. Initiates, develops and carries out research activities in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team.

Responsibilities Provides comprehensive therapeutic clinical counseling services to clients with mental illness and their families, community supports, and interdisciplinary treatment teams to coordinate services, manage cases, and facilitate meetings. Conducts comprehensive social work and psychosocial assessments of clients with mental illness and substance misuse/dependence, and families by interviewing the client and/or family, obtaining relevant information, gathering social data regarding the client and/or family and interpreting the data using a variety of modalities, in accordance with professional standards and clinical policies and practices.

Educates and provides consultation and support to clients, families, and healthcare professionals on issues related to high risk factors, recovery and current community practice in the field of mental health, child protection, adaptation to illness and disability, protection of vulnerable adults, chemical dependency, community living and support services. Maintains client records by documenting client assessments, charting client information, preparing progress notes and reports in accordance with established standards, policies and procedures to meet regulatory requirements and documenting for future reference.

Arranges meetings to develop and coordinate care plans and community services for clients requiring facility placement and/or community support and collaborates with hospital and community services from a social work perspective to determine appropriate levels of care and the effective utilizations of client resources. Communicates/collaborates with mental health and related community service agencies and family physicians by collaborating in the assessment and management of individuals at risk, making referrals to appropriate resources when longer term treatment of follow up is required and exchanging relevant information.

Provides formal liaison service to the Mental Health Centre by attendance at weekly rounds. Acts as resource to clients and their families by providing information for clients and families regarding community, resources and access to these resources, suggesting contacts to facilitate optimal planning, arranging referrals, and facilitating the development of community resources to strengthen families. Participates as a member of the mental health program and local committees and planning bodies by engaging in program/practice evaluation, identifying opportunities for change, assessing available resources, initiating solutions, analyzing outcomes and identifying areas for improved efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery to enhance patient care services and reduce service gaps in the community.

Maintains a variety of records such as workload statistics by recording information into approved formats, collating data, analyzing trends, accounting for variances, and preparing reports as required. Develops, coordinates, and delivers in-services, presentations, psycho-educational and support groups and/or training related to mental health by collaborating with members…